Where and how do mosquitoes overwinter?

There is also a risk of stinging in winter

Mosquito bites in winter? It is quite possible. If a mosquito has found its way into your home, mosquito bites are almost more likely than in summer. Because at this time of year the insects' thirst for blood is particularly great. But why is that? Before the male mosquitoes in late autumn die, they mate the females that winter survive. As with all animals, the breeding phase is very exhausting. As a result, the females have an increased protein requirement, which they cover with human blood.

Overwintering strategies

Mosquito larvae and adults overwinter in different ways.

Mosquito larvae

Before winter sets in, the females lay their eggs in bodies of water, mud or puddles. Here the hatching larvae find safe protection from frost and cold. The prerequisite for this is that the nesting site does not freeze over. mild winters therefore favor a large population in the following summer. Most of the time, the larvae submerge below the surface of the water. They take in the oxygen they need through a breathing tube that they build independently.

Adult animals

The adult females, on the other hand, seek out frost-proof places such as:

• basement, cellar
• Garages
• Cattle stalls
• but also apartments

Here they fall into one Numbness. Comparable to that Hibernation some mammals eat more food in late summer. In the transition to freezing cold, they excrete body fluids so that the body cannot freeze to death even in frosty conditions. Instead, they incorporate sugar into the metabolism, which acts as a natural antifreeze. Mosquitoes are also cold animals. Organ activity decreases as the body temperature drops. This also saves energy.

Survival artist winter mosquito

The winter mosquito has developed an even more effective winter strategy. Look at the body of this Mosquito species, notices that it is completely dark. The black color, which also affects the flights, has a very special purpose: dark colors absorb light. You know this effect because in summer you sweat more in black clothes than in a white T-shirt. Mosquitoes absorb every single ray of sunshine to keep the body warm.

Did you know that the climatic conditions of winter do not determine the number of mosquitoes in summer. The conditions under which the brood hatch are relevant for a mosquito plague. Warm temperatures and a high rate of precipitation in spring and early summer cause the population to explode.